June 28, 2024
Community Water Company is a not-for-profit corporation with members located in unincorporated Pima County and the Town of Sahuarita. In 2023, We delivered an average of 2 million gallons of water per day to about 22,000 people (approximately 92 gallons per person per day). Our service area is approximately eight square miles, located roughly between Anamax Road to the north, the Santa Cruz River to the east, Freeport-McMoRan mine to the west, and Mission Twin Buttes Road to the south. We currently have twenty full-time employees. Their responsibility is to provide reliable delivery of drinking water that meets all regulated standards.
The attached report contains information about our public water system, drinking water sources, drinking water contaminants, vulnerable populations, source water assessment, definitions, lead information, water quality data on regulated contaminants, and water quality on unregulated contaminants.
There are ways to protect our water sources, such as proper disposal of household chemicals and automotive waste can help minimize the risk of groundwater contamination by reducing the potential for runoff and leaching. For more information, call Pima County landfills at (520) 690-5749. Hazardous waste collections occur periodically in the Green Valley/Sahuarita area each year. For more information, please contact the Green Valley Council (520) 648-1936 for the date, time, and location of collections.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality uses the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards to regulate the levels of certain contaminants that may be present in water delivered by public water systems. Please call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information Helpline at (800) 426-4791 for more information about contaminants and potential health effects.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates bottled water, establishing limits for contaminants to provide similar protection for public health. The agency can provide information about bottled water by calling (888) 723-3366.
Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause “blue baby syndrome.” Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. Ask advice from your health care provider if you are caring for an infant and detect nitrate levels above 5 ppm.
Arsenic levels less than or equal to the MCL of 10 ppb in your drinking water meet EPA’s standards. EPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.
Hardness measures the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water. It is generally reported in parts per million, but users of water softeners who test for hardness may be more familiar with the measure of grains per gallon. They should multiply parts per million by .0584. Water hardness delivered to our customers can range from about 3.6 to 6.3 grains per gallon.
Sodium levels in 2023 ranged between 41 and 71 milligrams per liter (mg/L), which is approximately 9-17 milligrams of sodium in an 8-ounce glass of water. One liter is approximately equal to 33.82 ounces. To reduce sodium intake from drinking water, some of our customers with low-sodium diets who also utilize water softeners have chosen to use potassium chloride as a substitute for sodium chloride in their brine tanks.
We would be glad to answer any water quality questions you may have about this report. Please contact John Meyer or Trey Harris at (520) 625-8409, Monday through Friday, during regular office hours from 8 AM-noon and 1-4 PM. Additional information about Community Water Company is available at www.communitywater.com.
Consumer Confidence Report for Calendar Year 2023
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre el aqua usted bebe. Tradúscalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. Tradúscalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
| Public Water System ID Number | Public Water System Name |
|---|---|
| AZ0410004 | Community Water Company Of Green Valley |
| Contact Name and Title | Phone Number | E-mail Address |
|---|---|---|
| Arturo Gabaldon, Administrator | 520-625-8409 | arturo@communitywater.com |
We want our valued customers to be informed about their water quality. If you would like to learn more about public participation or to attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings, please contact us for additional information.
Drinking Water Sources
The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material, and can pickup substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
Our water source(s): Our water system has 4 wells that draw water from the Upper Santa Cruz sub-basin of the Tucson Active Management Area basin.
Drinking Water Contaminants
Microbial Contaminants: Viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife
Disinfectants and Disinfection By-products: Water additives used to control microbes, and the by-products of interactions between disinfectants and natural organic materials in water
Inorganic Contaminants: Salts, metals, and other inorganic contaminants that can occur naturally or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming
Pesticides and Herbicides: Synthetic organic compounds that come from agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and a wide variety of residential uses
Organic Chemical Contaminants: Synthetic and volatile organic chemical by-products that come from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive Contaminants: Can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Vulnerable Population
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.
Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV-AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on means to lessen risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Source Water Assessment
Our system has not yet received a source water assessment because we either did not exist when the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) last conducted assessments, were inactive, received all of our water from another provider at that time, or ADEQ did not conduct an assessment for our system.
Further source water assessment documentation can be obtained by contacting ADEQ.
Definitions
Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water
Level 1 Assessment: A study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria was present
Level 2 Assessment: A very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems contributing to an E. coli MCL violation, and/or why total coliform bacteria was present
Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment, or other requirements
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The level of disinfectant added for water treatment that may not be exceeded at the consumer’s tap
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of disinfectant added for treatment at which no known or anticipated adverse effect on health of persons would occur
Minimum Reporting Limit (MRL): The smallest measured concentration of a substance that can be reliably measured by a given analytical method
Millirems per year (MREM): A measure of radiation absorbed by the body
Not Applicable (NA): Sampling was not completed by regulation or was not required
Not Detected (ND or <): Not detected by the sampling laboratory above a minimum level of detection
Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU): Measure of water clarity for drinking water systems using surface water as source water
Million fibers per liter (MFL): Measure of asbestos contamination
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): Measure of the radioactivity in water
Unit Coversions:
ppm: Parts per million or Milligrams per liter (mg/L) ppm × 1000 = ppb
ppb: Parts per billion or Micrograms per liter (μg/L) ppb × 1000 = ppt
ppt: Parts per trillion or Nanograms per liter (ng/L) ppt × 1000 = ppq
ppq: Parts per quadrillion or Picograms per liter (pg/L)
Lead Informational Statement:
Lead, in drinking water, is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Community Water Company Of Green Valley is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at EPA’s Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water.
Water Quality Data – Regulated Contaminants
As authorized and approved by EPA, the state has reduced monitoring requirements for certain contaminants to less often than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old.
| Disinfectants | MRDL Violation? | Average | Range | MRDL | MRDLG | Sample Date | Likely Source of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine/Chloramine (ppm) | N | 0.61 | 0.48 to 0.73 | 4 | 4 | 2023 | Water additive used to control microbes |
| Disinfection By-Products | MCL Violation? | Highest Location Average or Highest Level Detected | Range | MCL | MCLG | Sample Date | Likely Source of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) (ppb) | N | 7.4 | 0 to 7.4 | 80 | N/A | 7/2023 | Byproduct of drinking water disinfection |
| Lead & Copper | AL Violation? | 90th Percentile | Number of Samples Exceeding the AL | AL | ALG | Sample Date | Likely Source of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper (ppm) | N | 0.09 | 0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 7/2021 | Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits |
| Radionuclides | MCL Violation? | Average or Highest Level Detected | Range | MCL | MCLG | Sample Date | Likely Source of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Emitters including uranium (pCi/L) | N | 6.1 | 5.5 to 6.1 | 15 | 0 | 7/2023 | Erosion of natural deposits |
| Combined Radium-226 & -228 (pCi/L) | N | 1.10 | 0 to 1.1 | 5 | 0 | 7/2023 | Erosion of natural deposits |
| Inorganic Chemicals (IOC) | MCL Violation? | Average or Highest Level Detected | Range | MCL | MCLG | Sample Date | Likely Source of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic (ppb) | N | 6.6 | 3.4 to 6.8 | 10 | 0 | 2023 | Erosion of natural deposits, runoff from orchards, runoff from glass and electronics production wastes |
| Barium (ppm) | N | 0.021 | 0 to 0.021 | 2 | 2 | 7/2023 | Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits |
| Fluoride (ppm) | N | 1.72 | 0.53 to 1.72 | 4 | 4 | 7/2023 | Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories |
| Nitrate (ppm) | N | 3.01 | 0.39 to 3.01 | 10 | 10 | 1/2023 | Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits |
| Sodium (ppm) | N | 71 | 41 to 71 | N/A | N/A | 7/2023 | Erosion of natural deposits |
Water Quality Table – Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (2023-2025)
Your drinking water was sampled for the presence and concentration of lithium and 29 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, some known by the acronyms PFAS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX, a group of contaminants in the final stages of becoming regulated by the EPA. PFAS are man-made chemicals that are resistant to heat, water, and oil. They have been used since the 1940s to manufacture various consumer products, including fire-fighting foam and stain resistant, water-resistant, and nonstick items. Many PFAS do not break down easily and can build up in people, animals, and the environment over time. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain PFAS can be harmful to people and animals, depending on the level and duration of exposure.
To learn more about this group of chemicals, we encourage you to read the ADEQ-provided “PFAS 101 Fact Sheet” and to visit the ADEQ website.
| Metals | Average | Range | Sampling Date | MRL | Likely Source of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium (ppb) | 69.6 | 36 to 153 | 12/2023 | 9 | Naturally occurring metal that may concentrate in brine waters; lithium salts are used as pharmaceuticals, used in electrochemical cells, batteries, and in organic syntheses. |
EPA is proposing a Hazard Index MCL to limit any mixture containing one or more of PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and/or GenX Chemicals. The Hazard Index considers the different toxicities of PFNA, GenX Chemicals, PFHxS, and PFBS. For these PFAS, water systems would use a hazard index calculation to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS in the drinking water at that system pose a potential risk and require action (Source: EPA Fact Sheet: Understanding the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Proposal Hazard Index).